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Electrical Control of Growth in Plant Tissue Cultures

Abstract

When very weak electric currents of the order of 1 microamp were passed between the tissue and the culture medium, dramatic increases in growth were recorded for tobacco callus. The effect was dependent on the direction of the current. When the callus was made negative, the growth rate was stimulated by about 70 percent, whereas current in the reverse direction was slightly inhibitory. The effect might have commercial application in enhancing the yield of biomass for the production of secondary products by immobilised plant tissue cultures.

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Rathore, K., Goldsworthy, A. Electrical Control of Growth in Plant Tissue Cultures. Nat Biotechnol 3, 253–254 (1985). https://doi.org/10.1038/nbt0385-253

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